Painful Love
by FernyX3
Summary: What Beatrice had always called "pain" was simply just the undeniable love she held for Battler.  Oneshot.


**Hey guys! First off, I am SO sorry I haven't updated anything here in so long! Especially Baragoroshi-hen; I'll definitely get back to that soon! First, I gotta go through and delete a story or two here and update the others, then I'll get to work on Baragoroshi-hen. ^^**

**Anyways, this is just a short oneshot/drabble written in about 30 mins, maybe an hour. With the last Umineko game released, I've fallen in love with BatBeato again, so this little drabble was born!**

**I know the mood of the second half totally contradicts the mood of the first half, but I kinda like the way it's written and I don't know how to make it fit together... Not to mention, this is only a first draft. If you guys like it, then I'll probably make it better later.**

**Standard disclaimer: I don't own Umineko. If I did, I probably wouldn't be writing FANfiction.**

It was painful, to say the least. More so than anything else the witch had ever known. Every word that he threw at her was like a needle made of glass; piercing the fragile wall of her heart and shattering inside, her blood carrying every fragment through her body until she knew nothing but agony. When she once was a young girl dreaming of magic and mystery, she had never imagined that what she longed for would be something she would always regret.

If she'd known that love would be so incredibly _heartbreaking _in such a literal sense, she would've never wished to become a witch. She would've never wanted to take any road that led to the fatal glimpse of Battler's eyes. She knew not that she would be so captivated by that familiar shade of sapphire; all she knew is that, in a way, they were meant to meet. She knew there had to be a reason why she chose him to be her opponent in her game.

He had her from the first time he denied her existence. In the same way, she knew she had time from the first time she threatened to take his life. Love at first sight? Or perhaps, love at first word of hate? She wasn't sure anymore.

The other witches knew all about it, too. Tea times with the others were never the once-peaceful, almost boring thing it used to be. Lambdadelta liked to tease her, asking if she would 'be invited to the wedding.' Bernkastel was blunter, telling her that she needed to approach Battler and tell him to his face. Virgilia never gave any advice of her own, but rather would simply tell stories of her past romances.

But what was Beatrice supposed to do? Did she love Battler, or was it just a sick obsession? Did she really care for him, or was she feeling too much self-pity? Did she want to be with him, or was she just tired of being alone?

"Beato?"

She dared to lift her head, just a little, so that maybe he would think she was looking at him, but she wouldn't let her eyes meet his. She was tired of the pain.

"Beato, are you okay?"

She gave a little nod, lying with a movement. They were in the middle of a heated debate; this was no time for him to be worried about her. It's not like he cared about her, anyway. She waited, shoulders tensed, gaze averted to the floor.

She felt his hands on her shoulders. His strong, yet gentle hands. She wanted to fall into his arms then, bury her face against his chest and cry while he held her. But that was just a dream. She knew better than to believe that dreams come true.

"Beatrice."

It was the commanding tone of his smooth voice that instinctively made her look up. A feeling she could only describe as poison running in her veins took over as she lost herself in those blue eyes.

"Y-yes…?" She tried to hide the utter fear in her voice, but apparently failed, because Battler's hands moved to her cheeks, holding her gaze with his.

Overwhelming exhilaration took over as she stood up and he immediately pulled her into his arms. Breathtaking, unexplainable emotions rushed through her head, leaving a dizzying trail of stars. She leaned into his touch silently. There was no need for words anymore.

It was a combination of all the little things. His right hand rested gently on her slender waist, pulling her against him, while the fingertips of his left hand were tangled in the strands of hair that had fallen from her usually-neat bun. His face was hidden against her neck; his warm breath sent chills down her spine, and he brushed his lips against the hollow of her throat once, earning a light sigh from her. She could feel his heart beating against her own, almost in sync, but his was just a moment before hers – exactly as it should have been for two rivals. Every little thing about that moment was one big knowing that she was hopelessly in love with him.

But she would never admit it. She would never say it. Never could she let her enemy know about the weakness known as love.

She smiled to herself. It was useless; it was all useless. He knew, and she knew. There was no denying it. She pressed her lips to his neck in a single, swift motion, and wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes and let herself fall away into the only place she'd ever known true happiness.

…Happiness? It was such a foreign concept to her. Happiness was the thing that she'd always been told was pain. It was Battler who'd shown her otherwise. What she'd always called hurt, he called love. Never again would it hurt. There was not even a need for any confessions. He loved her and she loved him. Simple as that; forever.

"Don't let me go, Battler."

"Don't worry, Beato," he whispered. "I never will."

**Read and review, please! I love reviews, guys. Seriously, they're my main motivation to keep writing!**


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